Cherry Almont Thumbprint Cookies      Created by Jon Payne

1/2 cup cherry jam

1 tablespoon Cherry brandy

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon almond extract

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

½ cup cherry brandy

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 large baking sheets.

In a small bowl, combine the cherry jam and the cherry brandy.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to blend.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks, and almond extract. Add the flour mixture in 2 additions and beat just until moist clumps form. Gather the dough together into a ball.

Pinch off the dough to form 1-inch balls. Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing 1-inch apart. Use your floured index finger or 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to create depressions in the center of each ball. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Fill each indentation with nearly 1/2 teaspoon of the jam mixture after the cookie has cooled.

Whisk together the confectioner’s sugar and the cherry brandy.  Place in a Ziploc bag and cut the tip off and slowly drizzle over each cookie.